Sunday, December 9, 2012

I flew to San Francisco after Thanksgiving and was met at the airport by cousins Ann and Don,who I had not seen in many years. I had a wonderful time, mostly eating and drinking and walking the dog. We went to the Cakebread winery in Calistoga before going to a Christmas party at their friend's house. Then a harrowing nighttime drive to Mt Shasta, where we relaxed and ate and drank and walked the dog some more. We went a couple of times to feed some horses they have adopted near Weed. We went walking near Yreka to collect mistletoe and acorns for holiday decorations. On the way back to the Bay Area we stopped in Chico, my old home for ten years, and toured the Sierra Nevada brewery before having lunch at Italian Cottage, where I used to love to go for breakfast. Sorry, Chico friends. We were only in town a few hours and I wasn't in charge, so I didn't get to see you. Next time. I have to say the brewery tour was amazing though. They just started when we moved to Chico in 1980 and now they are the third largest brewery in the country. Way to go, Sierra Nevada!

It was cold in Mt Shasta and cold in San Francisco. I am ready for something above the 40's.

About Me

My road to retirement includes traveling, teaching English, and serial volunteering. I started in 2010 in Ecuador, then followed Thailand, Cambodia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Panama. In 2013 I sailed around the world with Semester at Sea, a college ship associated with the University of Virginia. I volunteered in Hawaii in 2014. Now I am ready to walk the Camino Frances in Spain, hoping to get some insight into what this life is all about.

2012 CAPETOWN TO VICTORIA FALLS OVERLAND TRIP. April-May. Included the Cedarberg Mountains in South Africa, many places in Namibia, Etosha and Chobe safaris, and Okavango Delta before ending in Victoria Falls.

2012 SOUTH AFRICA. February-April. Volunteered at a Township school in Muizenberg.

2012 UGANDA. January-February. Volunteered at an orphanage near Kampala and at the Uganda Wildlife Education Center in Entebbe.